Future of the Post-COVID City Course
Online course of 300 hours in the future of the post-COVID city, structured in 6 modules covering pandemic impacts, mobility and public space, housing and new centralities, health and resilience, and future scenarios, with an assigned technical tutor.
Future of the Post-COVID City Course — studying from South Africa
Civil engineering is central to South Africa's infrastructure, from roads and water systems to rail and urban development. Transnet's freight rail network, the Gautrain system in Gauteng and metropolitan projects in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg create steady demand for engineers. Large contractors and consultancies, along with public agencies such as the South African National Roads Agency Limited, employ specialists in structures, transport and urban systems. Smart city initiatives increasingly combine civil works with digital monitoring and sustainable design.
Fees for South Africa: R 10 200 (South African rand), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in South Africa
Typical roles
Questions from South Africa
Which South African body registers civil engineers, and would SEIUM qualifications count towards registration?
ECSA registers engineering professionals in South Africa, and built environment professionals are registered through SACPCMP and SACAP. Registration requires recognised qualifications, supervised experience and assessment. SEIUM is a private online institute, and its qualifications are not official state degrees or accredited by a national body. Whether they count is decided by ECSA or the relevant body and your employer, so verify before enrolling.
Will this programme help me work on rail or smart city projects in South Africa?
South Africa has ongoing infrastructure, rail and urban development work, with projects involving public bodies, engineering consultancies and contractors. Employers typically seek registered professionals with proven project experience. A private online qualification in smart cities or rail can support your profile, but it does not guarantee work on any project. Speak to potential employers about how they view it.
Can I study alongside a full-time job, and can my employer help pay?
Yes, the programme is 100% online, so you can study around work, though you need a reasonable level of English as teaching is in English. Master's programmes take 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours, with a technical tutor. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible. Many employers in South Africa fund professional development, so ask yours.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Analyse the impacts of COVID-19 on urban form and how cities function.
Evaluate the mobility and public-space measures adopted during the pandemic.
Understand the changes in housing, work and urban centralities.
Integrate health and ventilation criteria into buildings and facilities.
Apply foresight methods and scenario building.
Identify funding opportunities for urban transformation.
Prepare a coherent, measurable post-COVID urban strategy.
Who it's for
- Strategic urban planners rethinking their cities after the pandemic.
- Mobility consultants working on post-COVID transport and public-space measures.
- Urban resilience officers preparing for future crises.
- Foresight analysts building long-term urban scenarios.
- Public-space officers involved in pedestrianisation and tactical urbanism.
- Recovery fund managers handling urban transformation projects.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into local government.
What you'll work with
- Royal Decree 1027/2007 (Spanish Regulation on Thermal Installations in Buildings, RITE)
- Royal Decree-law 36/2020 (measures to implement the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan)
- Law 7/2021 (Spanish climate change and energy transition law)
- Law 33/2011 (Spanish General Public Health Law)
- Royal Decree 1052/2022 (low-emission zones)
- Law 10/2021 (Spanish remote working law)
- UNE 171330-2 (indoor environmental quality)
- QGIS
- Python with pandas
- Microsoft Power BI
- PTV Visum
- Miro
6 modules
1.1Impacts of COVID-19 on cities1.2Density and contagion: the evidence1.3Historical pandemics and urban reforms1.4Inequalities revealed by the pandemic1.5Mobility during lockdown1.6Urban economy and local retail1.7Tourism and historic centres1.8Local government response1.9Lessons from the UN-Habitat report on cities and pandemics1.10Case study: analysis of 2020 mobility data
2.1Tactical urbanism and pop-up cycle lanes2.2Pedestrianisation and superblocks2.3Recovery of public transport2.4Micromobility and shared systems2.5Terraces and commercial use of public space2.6School streets and safe environments2.7Urban logistics and e-commerce2.8Low-emission zones2.9The fifteen-minute city after the pandemic2.10Workshop: tactical urbanism plan for a commercial street
3.1Remote working and residential demand3.2Adequate housing: ventilation, light and outdoor space3.3Migration to suburbs and rural areas3.4Vacant offices and change of use3.5Local coworking spaces3.6Polycentric centralities and decentralisation3.7Neighbourhood facilities3.8The digital divide and connectivity3.9Habitability in building regulations3.10Case study: conversion of an office building
4.1Ventilation and indoor air quality4.2Designing spaces for distancing and occupancy limits4.3Flexible hospitals and healthcare facilities4.4Continuity plans for urban services4.5Wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance4.6Resilience to cascading crises4.7Multi-level emergency governance4.8Healthy cities and prevention4.9Data and privacy in contact tracing4.10Practical exercise: ventilation plan for a public facility
5.1Urban foresight methods5.2Scenario analysis and megatrends5.3Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan5.4New European Bauhaus5.5Mission for 100 climate-neutral cities5.6Digital transition and urban digital twins5.7Circular and local economy5.8Urban recovery indicators5.9Evaluation of post-pandemic measures5.10Workshop: building urban scenarios for 2040
6.1Selection of the city or district6.2Diagnosis of pandemic impacts6.3Future scenarios to 20406.4Mobility and public space strategy6.5Housing and centralities strategy6.6Health and resilience measures6.7Recovery and monitoring indicators6.8Phased implementation plan6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with your tutor
How you'll learn
Training is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so the programme fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original regulations and applied exercises. The working software is QGIS, Python with pandas, Microsoft Power BI, PTV Visum and Miro, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for analysing changes in urban mobility, designing tactical urbanism interventions and building urban future scenarios. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: Royal Decree 1027/2007 (RITE); Royal Decree-law 36/2020; Law 7/2021; Law 33/2011; Royal Decree 1052/2022; Law 10/2021; UNE 171330-2.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with QGIS, Python with pandas, Microsoft Power BI, PTV Visum and Miro, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required; you need an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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